Overview

Academy of Scholars is a Christian K–6 elementary school serving families in the Decatur, GA area (metro Atlanta). Despite an active SEO campaign, progress was limited by an older, custom-coded WordPress build (Visual Composer + scattered custom code) that was fragile, slow, and hard to edit. We delivered a Figma-designed refresh and a clean WordPress rebuild with an editor-friendly block library, clear user segmentation (Prospective vs. Current Families), a prominent virtual tour, a new Reading Program section, and lightweight performance that keeps the homepage around 780 ms.

Client quick facts

  • Client: Academy of Scholars — Christian K–6 elementary school (Decatur, GA)
  • Platform / Stack: WordPress (custom block library), Figma (design system), image & caching optimizations
  • Services Delivered: UX/IA, custom UI design (Figma), WordPress rebuild (replace legacy VC/custom code), events & news modules, Reading Program section, performance optimization, on-page & technical SEO, schema

Client Goals & Pain Points

Context

The school needed a site that reflects tuition-level expectations and supports SEO: clear navigation for prospective and current parents, quick updates for staff, and strong performance despite media (video, sliders).

Goals

  • Replace fragile templates with a stable, editable WordPress build
  • Improve information architecture and segment traffic (Prospective vs. Current Families)
  • Highlight virtual campus tour, Reading Program, testimonials, news, and events
  • Enable the SEO campaign with faster pages, semantic structure, and better internal linking

Pain Points

  • Mixed Visual Composer + custom code → frequent breakage and slow publishing
  • Heavy media (huge images/videos, sliders) → sluggish loads & poor Core Web Vitals
  • Content-heavy homepage with weak wayfinding; no clear paths for different audiences
  • Limited space for text, poor spacing, and low scannability hurt SEO and UX

Success Criteria

  • Sub-3.5s loads on all key templates (achieved ~0.78s on homepage)
  • Audience segmentation from the homepage in ≤2 clicks to top tasks
  • Editor autonomy: updates without developer intervention
  • SEO-ready: headings, schema, internal linking, and crawlable content modules

Approach & Strategy

Discovery & UX

  • Audit of legacy templates and publishing pain points
  • Competitive review of high-end private school sites for best-in-class UX and polish
  • Re-mapped IA: Prospective Families, Current Families, Academics/Programs, Reading Program, Admissions, News/Blog, Events, About

Design System (Figma)

  • High-contrast, family-friendly typography; refined spacing for scannability
  • Card-based patterns for news, events, testimonials, and program highlights
  • Visual hierarchy that elevates Virtual Tour and Reading Program above the fold for prospects

Development (WordPress)

  • Rebuilt on a custom block library (no Visual Composer), standardized components, and global styles
  • Events & News modules staff can update in minutes; Virtual Tour and Video galleries supported via lightweight embeds
  • Dedicated Reading Program section (long-form content + proof modules)
  • Editor guardrails to prevent inline/local styling “drift” and template breakage

Lead Capture & CTAs

  • Persistent Request Info / Schedule a Tour / Apply CTAs in header and hero
  • Inline CTAs across Academics/Programs and Reading Program pages
  • Modular Open House / Event RSVP blocks

SEO Foundation

  • On-page optimization (titles, metas, H1/H2/H3), semantic markup, internal links (Prospective ↔ Admissions ↔ Programs ↔ Blog)
  • Schema: EducationalOrganization/School, WebSite, WebPage, BreadcrumbList, Event (open houses), Article (blog), VideoObject (virtual tour)
  • Performance: next-gen images, compression, lazy loading, dimension hints, minimized JS/CSS, caching/CDN

Key Features (Technology & UX)

  • Prospective vs. Current Families Segmentation — Clear entry points and quick links reduce confusion and support the SEO funnel
  • Virtual Tour Hub — Hero placement + embeddable tour/video gallery to prep families before visits
  • Reading Program Showcase — Dedicated section with outcomes, curriculum highlights, and parent/student testimonials
  • Editor-Friendly WordPress — Custom blocks & guardrails replace brittle VC/custom code; staff can publish without breaking layouts

Performance & SEO Highlights

  • Homepage load (desktop): ~0.78s fully loaded (sub-second target met despite media)
  • Markup & Structure: Single H1, logical H2/H3, descriptive alt text, clean internal linking
  • Schema Coverage: EducationalOrganization/School, WebSite, WebPage, BreadcrumbList, Event, Article, VideoObject
  • Indexability: Content is block-based and crawlable; heavy custom code removed; spacing improved to surface text for search

Results

  • Modern, high-trust experience aligned with tuition-level expectations and best-in-class private school UX
  • Sub-second performance improves user experience on desktop and mobile and supports SEO
  • Faster publishing: updates to events/news/pages without developer support
  • Higher clarity & conversions for Prospective Families via prominent CTAs and a standout Reading Program + Virtual Tour